The US and Iran have stepped back from the brink — for now. A week ago, Iranian missile strikes from within its own territory on bases housing US troops in Iraq would have seemed barely thinkable. In the event, what amounted to a relatively restrained response to the US assassination of Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani — and, crucially, the lack of American casualties — provided an opening for Donald Trump to reduce tensions. On Wednesday, while slapping tougher sanctions on Iran and insisting the US was still mulling a counter-response, the US president appeared to seize that opening. Yet even if outright war has been avoided, the road ahead remains hazardous.
就眼下来说，美国和伊朗从战争边缘各退了一步。伊朗从自己领土内发射导弹攻击美军驻伊拉克基地，这在一周前还几乎是不可想象的。但就美国暗杀伊朗高级将领卡西姆•苏莱曼尼(Qassem Soleimani)而言，伊朗作出这样的回应已经是相对克制了，关键是没有造成美国人员伤亡，这给了唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)缓和紧张局势的机会。特朗普也确实在周三抓住了这个机会，虽然他宣布要对伊朗实施更严厉的制裁，并坚称美国仍在考虑如何回击。然而，尽管全面开战是避免了，前方道路却依然危险重重。